India-China meeting off over Dalai Lama
A meeting between Indian and Chinese diplomats has been cancelled after Beijing objected to a scheduled speech in New Delhi by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama
The two Asian powers were scheduled to start the next round in long-running talks to resolve a border dispute over Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian state which China claims as south Tibet, on Monday. Dai Bingguo, China’s top foreign policy official, was to travel to the Indian capital for discussions with Shivshankar Menon, India’s national security adviser.
The Dalai Lama was to address the valedictory function of the four-day Global Buddhist Congregation, co-organised by the Public Diplomacy division of the external affairs ministry. The Indian side is believed to have conveyed to China that it was of a religious nature and not a political event and it cannot cancel it.
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